Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Quotes

“For nine years he would not leave by Day or Night without permission.”

“It’s a simple matter of mathematics, sir.”

“It means the right to have our own opinions. Human problems aren’t like mathematics, Nat. Every problem doesn’t have just one answer; sometimes you get several answers—and you don’t know which is the right one.”

“Only a weakling gives up when he’s becalmed! A strong man sails by ash breeze!”

“I will lift up my eyes unto the stars. Sometimes, if you look at the stars long enough, it helps. It shrinks your day-by-day troubles down to size.”

“Being indentured is just like being in jail. If you run away, someone will c-c-capture you and bring you b-b-back.”

“And now you’re becalmed. Just like I was at your age. Wouldn’t think to look at me I was bright as a dollar once, would you? But I was. Wanted to make something of myself. But I didn’t have a chance. Taken out of school, I was. Just like you.”

″‘I’ll do better, Mary. I swear I will.’ Mary didn’t answer. She just looked at Father. Her eyes were sad as Granny’s used to be. Nat knew what she was thinking. ‘You’ve lost your last anchor to windward.‘”

″...we can’t have freedom—unless we have freedom. And that means freedom to speak our minds.”